An insight into the changing nature of customer-supplier relationships in contemporary marketing in Australia

Today, factors such as deregulation and the increasing demands of customers are changing the way that businesses such the electricity supply companies need to operate. Electricity supply companies need to understand the factors that influence supplier selection, particularly with the emergence of intennediaries such as brokers that can be used to assist in the selection of suppliers. This paper provides an exploratory investigation into the changing nature of customer-supplier relationships in cmmnodity marketing in Australia, by examining the effect of intennediaries on the purchase decision for electricity, giving marketers an understanding of the complexity of the decisions faced by large, n1ulti-site cmnpanies.